WTC News Blog

 COMPLETE LIST OF AGENCIES, COMMISSIONS AND PARASTATALS AFFECTED BY THE APPROVAL OF THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING [FEC] MEETING OF 26TH FEBRUARY 2023 ON THE ORONSAYE PANEL REPORT AGENCIES TO BE SCRAPPED 1. Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate to be scrapped and functions transferred to the Federal Ministry of Finance 2. National Senior Secondary Education Commission (NSSEC) to be scrapped and functions transferred to the department of Basic and Secondary Education in Federal Ministry of Education. AGENCIES TO BE MERGED 1. National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA) to be merged under the Centre for Disease Control in Federal Ministry of Health. 2. National Emergency Agency (NEMA) to be merged with National Commission Refugee, Migration and Internally Displaced persons [NCFRMI]. 3. Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) to be merged with Directorate of Technical Aid (DTAC) and to function as a department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 4. Infras...

Written by Comrade Ukeme Ekong The experience of Heat weave in Calabar is a call for concern. It is no longer news that between December 2023 and February 2023. Calabar, Cross River State, has experienced some harsh weather due to excessive heat and effect ozone layer depleting. December 2023 residents did not witness the usual cold in the evening and early hours of the morning known as Harmattan. This, to many, was a call for serious concern as this help fruits and more. Hence the new waves of Heat was witnessed in the state Capital and it's environments. Where is our  thick Rain forest? Has it really been lost to deforestation activities? I remember that our forest usually protects citizens from exposure to excessive Heat and sun. Heat waves in Cross River, like in many other regions, are primarily caused by a combination of meteorological factors and human activities. The main drivers of heat waves include: Climate Change: Global warming, driven by the increase in greenhouse gas...

  The House of Representatives on Thursday resolved to step down the consideration of the bill for an Act to establish a regulatory agency for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs). The bill seeks to regulate the promotion of social development activities in Nigeria and for related matters, sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli.  In his lead debate, Hon. Soli observed that the bill seeks primarily to establish the Agency to ensure NGOs as well as CSOs live up to their full potentials of societal development, as well as coordinate private-public development partnership.  He stated that the Agency will also ensure that these NGOs and CSOs are well regulated and managed to ensure they do not abuse the room for their performance in favor of unwholesome practices. The Agency when operational, Hon. Sada stated, will ensure these organizations stick to stipulated policy guidelines, help government to trac...

Iloke, Egbe Reporting The Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State on Budget Mr. Otu Otu Ita has asserted that the Governor, His Excellency, Senator. Prince. Bassey Edet Otu is sincerely committed to improving Food and Nutrition Programmes in the State.  He stated this in his office, Budget Office Complex Calabar when he received the State  Chapter of the CS-SUNN in collaboration with the State committee on Food and Nutrition who were on advocacy visit. He said the Governor has approved funding to support food and nutrition activities in the 2024 budget and can be access by any of the cluster MDAs that are into Food and Nutrition Programmes. According to Mr Ita Budget Office and State Planning Commission ordinary would have been together, but Government in her wisdom segmented them for more effective delivery and expressed excitement with the advocacy and collaborations already in progress. He acknowledged lack of funds as a major challenge that had confronted impl...

Written by Comrade Ukeme Ekong The Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an international platform that aims to promote transparency, accountability, and civic participation in government processes. Cross River State of Nigeria has signed up to become a part of this global initiative, which has the potential to bring about positive changes for its citizens. However, for the State to truly benefit from the OGP and guarantee the “citizen-first mantra” and a “season of sweetness,” several key steps need to be taken. First, an OGP secretariat should be created in the OGP supervising ministry or agency in the state. The OGP secretariat would be responsible for coordinating and implementing OGP initiatives, ensuring that the State is held accountable for its commitments and progress.  Second, a steering committee should be constituted, with a co-chair from both State and Non-State Actors. This would help to ensure that the OGP is inclusive and responsive to the needs and priorities of all...

Written By Kebe Ikpi There is a video going round via different social media platforms on the issue of okèngorò (money woman). According to the narrator, the money woman (a sinister form of child marriage) is prevalent in Becheve, Obanliku Local Government Area of Cross River State. Several concerned platforms have been inundated with this video and there have been different reactions from different statekholder. At the end of the video, the content creator advertised his editing masterclass. This, in my view, was the ultimate goal of the video.  In a swift response, the Wife of the Governor of Cross River State issued a statement saying that money marriage is an old practice that has been abolished. According to the statement, Reverend (Mrs) Eyoawan Bassey Otu, “undertook a comprehensive fact finding mission to investigate the current status of this ancient tradition in August 2023”. The statement says she drew her conclusion that the tradition has been abolished after that “fact ...